Sting x Grand Magic Games x Natsu
by Violetta Ki
Summary: On the fourth day of the Grand Magic Games, Sting flees Sabertooth after Lector is struck down. Fearing for his own life, he finds an unexpected ally in Fairy Tail. [Natsu, Sting] Full of fluff, surprises, and adventure.
1. Chapter 1

AU Notes: Takes place starting at the end of the fourth day of the grand magic games. Eclipse Project does not exist. Yukino never leaves Fairy Tail's inn to work with Arcadios. Every other change should become apparent through context.

AN: I tend to only use japanese honorifics either in direct quotes from the series or as terms of endearment- don't expect them in all necessary places. [Sting, Natsu]

The fourth day of the Grand Magic Games had finally come to a close, and all across the capital city of Crocus witches and wizards were celebrating the upcoming finale. Of course, no place other than the inn of Fairy Tail could have any more reason to celebrate. With their own dragon slayer Natsu's unbelievable two versus one victory earlier that day, Fairy Tail had pulled into the number one slot among the game's rankings. Inside, every member of Fairy Tail and visiting friends were celebrating in their own way. Many were drunk, dancing, and Natsu was being treated like a hero!

However, there was another inn on the other side of Crocus where the atmosphere was the exact opposite. Sabertooth's inn was desolate and gloomy. All the members were being held in audience with their master, who was delivering punishment as consequence for the day's failures. He called his guild's two participants in the earlier tag-team battle forward to stand before his judgement.

"Sting.. Rogue… What the hell was that?" Sabertooth's master Jiemma scowled.

The two dragonslayers stood in silence, staring down at the floor. Their exceeds also waited in shame.

"Oye… You two are dragon slayers. You shoot your mouths off about how strong you are on a regular basis, don't you?"

The crowd of guild members watched in abject disapproval of the two failures, their fellow team members appearing almost satisfied to them receive punishment.

"But you were disgracefully beaten up, and by a fellow dragon slayer no less." Jiemma continued, growling. "Are you listening to me?!"

Rogue finally found the courage to speak up. "I have no words. We were completely defeated. Natsu overwhelmed us without using his flames cloaked in lightning." The shadow dragon slayer was visibly shaking after his confession, clamping his hand shut tightly. "Your strength far exceeds what I had imagined… Natsu Dragneel..!"

Suddenly, Jiemma stood up. He stomped into the ground right in front of the twin dragons, shattering the floor beneath his might. "Are those the words of a wizard from Sabertooth, the strongest guild?! Who told you to go out there and look like a pair of pathetic fools? Who told you to fail? You sullied the name of the strongest guild!" Their master exclaimed, launching both Sting and Rogue across the room with a burst of magical fury. Their exceeds ran to them with concern. Jiemma continued howling, "You bastards aren't fit to be members of Sabertooth! Wipe it out! Wipe out the crest of our guild! My guild doesn't need weaklings! It doesn't need losers!"

Jiemma's daughter, Minerva, began laughing with joy at the treatment the two were receiving. She was more than happy to see her father displaying his unbridled fury once again.

Bravely, Sting's exceed companion Lector stepped forwards. Though visibly distraught, he tried to appeal to his master. "Okay, okay, Master, but Sting-kun and Rogue-kun did their best."

Jiemma turned with confusion at the voice.

Lector kept stammering, "This time he lost, but I'm proud of Sting-kun!"

Sting's heart pounded from hearing these kind words but also grew concerned for his friend's stark objection to Jiemma's word.

"I think people can also get stronger by experiencing failure." Lector tried to reason. "Sting-kun learned a lot this battle. So I think you should-"

"Who are you?" Master Jiemma demanded.

"C-come on, Master…" The cat insisted, pulling up his blue jacket. "After all, I've got the Saber crest right here, proving… I'm a…" He grew too terrified to continue.

"Why would the likes of a cat bear the proud crest of Sabertooth...? Begone!" Jiemma howled once more, suddenly invoking an extremely powerful spell.

A white-purple magical blast exploded around Lector, and he cried out Sting's name in a panic. The whole guild, with the exception of Minerva and her father, stood mortified at the display.

"Lector!" Sting wailed, tears forming in his eyes.

In the blink of an eye, where there once was a red cat, now there were only scorch marks. There was a moment of silence as everyone tried to comprehend the murder they had just witnessed.

"Lector is… gone…" Rogue's exceed, Frosch, began crying. Rogue held him tight, trying to protect him just in case Jiemma's fury had not been fully unleashed.

Sting's tears flowed freely now, and he gritted his teeth with mournful rage. Trembling on the floor, he couldn't keep his feelings in side.

"This is an eyesore." Jiemma muttered. "I suppose it's what I get for letting cats bear the crest of my guild."

Sting screamed in agony. "What did you do?! What the hell did you do?!"

"Silence! Look at yourself, bawling over a stupid cat!" Jiemma's insults continued.

As soon as those words had left his mouth, something snapped inside Sting. All the fury of the light dragon slayer welled up, and in that moment he let out an immensely powerful attack directed right at his master. Even Minerva was taken aback.

Before anyone could react, Sting bolted out of the room and the inn entirely. Rogue, fearing the hostility of his fellow guild members, took Frosch and disappeared into the shadows. Jiemma lay on the floor, unconscious but alive, while his daughter began barking orders to help the master and not to let Sting get away.

But it was too late, Sting had already distanced himself from the end. Tears still running down his face, he sprinted for his life all the way across Crocus. It was quite the display, a crying young blonde boy falling apart under the moonlit sky. Around him on the streets, mages continued celebrating the games joyously- completely unaware of the events that had just occurred inside Sabertooth. He was travelling so quickly that when he turned a corner, he was completely unable to stop himself from crashing right into a young girl.

When he hit the ground, he closed his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to get back up. He lay on the dirt, completely defeated. That was when he heard a familiar voice whisper his name.

"S-Sting… Sting-kun?"

Sting opened his eyes, looking up hazily. It was his former team member, Yukino.

"Yukino…" Sting whispered, barely able to speak.

She noticed his tears immediately, and moved over to his side. "What's wrong Sting? What happened?"

Sting pulled his arms around his knees, looking down in shame. "It shouldn't concern you. No, not after the way… The way we treated you."

Yukino shook her head and sat beside her former ally in the same manner. "It's okay Sting. Really, it is. It's not your fault, I would never expect anyone to go and oppose Jiemma on my behalf."

Hearing that name made Sting wince in anger. He grabbed Yukino's arm out of instinct, before taking a deep breath and letting go. "S-sorry. Don't say that name- please."

She turned her head, trying to understand. "Sting-kun. Please.. Just try and calm down. I'm here for you." Yukino caringly put an arm around the dragon slayer's shoulder and he leaned into her, composing himself.

After a brief silence, he finally stopped crying. "Lector… Lector is dead."

Yukino's eyes grew wide with shock. "What?!"

"It's because of my failure today. I wasn't strong enough to win. I wasn't strong enough to protect Lector. I just watched as master- no- as that monster took him from me."

"This can't be. No way..." Yukino stammered in disbelief. "Sting, I-I'm so sorry."

He didn't respond, simply sitting in silence. Eventually, Yukino stood up and offered Sting her hand. Begrudgingly, he took it, getting out of the dirt. They brushed themselves off.

"I didn't think I'd ever get to speak to you again." Yukino admitted.

Sting frowned. "I don't deserve to be speaking to you…"

Even though she knew Sting wouldn't believe it, she shook her head. "You're a good person Sting. It's Sabertooth that's wrong. Sabertooth was just using you- me- all of us. We don't need them anymore."

Sting thought about the time he had spent in Sabertooth. Sure, he had grown much stronger as a wizard and furthered his ambitions. But he hadn't enjoyed his time there at all. Infact, the only time had really been happy in the past few years were when Lector and Rogue were around. He let out a sigh, knowing the vast majority of the guild would despise him for assaulting their master.

Accepting Yukino's words, he nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Yukino. Though we're just a couple of guildless mages now, I'm glad I can call someone like you a friend."

Yukino smiled at him, and despite his mourning he couldn't help but smile back.

Another male voice broke the tender moment. "Ah, Sting. I did not think I would find you so soon."

The two former Sabertooths looked up at the source, finding the voice belonged to Rufus Lore. Sting stood in front of Yukino, bracing himself and acting on the defensive.

"Rufus…" He spoke harshly. "What do you want with me?"

"Calm yourself, Sting. I will not harm you. Minerva has ordered several members of Sabertooth to seek you out and bring you back to her. I am one, but I have no intention of doing so."

Skeptical, Sting glared at him. "Why not? I'm in no state to resist, you know that."

"I have no memory of you ever doing anything to hurt me. You were a worthy ally and I do not believe throwing you out of the guild was necessary. That said, it has been done. I cannot change that, but I know that if I bring you back now, Minerva will have you killed. That is not a memory I desire to make."

Sting relaxed himself, stepping out from in front of Yukino. He nodded gratefully at Rufus. "Alright. Thank you, Rufus. I won't forget this."

The memory minstrel turned and began walking away, speaking as he went. "I suggest you both find somewhere safe to hide. Minerva herself may already be on your trail, Sting. Farewell."

Yukino and Sting were alone once again, Rufus having gone as quickly as he had arrived.

"Sting-kun, its not safe for you out here. Lector may be gone, but you're still alive. There's still time. You have to come with me."

"Come where, exactly?" Sting inquired, still having a hard time grasping that Lector was in fact gone.

"Ever since I was thrown out of Sabertooth, I have been staying with Lucy and the other Fairy Tail wizards at their inn. They have been very kind to me, and I know they wouldn't mind helping you too if they knew the circumstances."

Sting grimaced at the thought of being taken care of by the guild he had antagonized so ruthlessly. "I suppose… I don't really have a choice. Okay, let's hurry."

Yukino concurred, quickly sprinting off through the bustling streets of Crocus. It was difficult to be stealthy, after all the two of them had competed in the very event every wizard here was celebrating. Rather than trying to be covert, they simply ignored the cries of "Sting!" and "Yukino!" from spectators and bolted towards the safe haven of Fairy Tail as quickly as possible.

It wasn't long before the inn came into view, and with no opposing Sabertooth members in sight, the pair stepped inside. Since there was no tournament tomorrow due to the break day, the inn was filled to the brim with celebrants. The room was so crowded that their presence wasn't even noticed at first. However, that changed just as quickly as Lucy called them out.

"Yukino! And... Sting!?"

Several guild members turned their attention towards the former sabertooths. Yukino led Sting through the crowd, up to a table where Lucy was sitting with Mira.

"Hi, Lucy." Yukino greeted her friend. "Yes, I've brought Sting here. He has a request to make of Fairy Tail."

Sting stepped forwards, almost ashamed of his circumstances. "Hello Lucy. I guess I should start off by apologizing for any hostility I've had towards your guild. Circumstances have changed and I realize now that we were out of line."

Lucy shook her head. "No- no, it's okay. We're competing, it's only natural for things to be this way. It's the people like your guild master's daughter, err I've forgotten her name, who are taking it too far. I'm sure your guild is a great place, competition aside!"

"Well, you'd be wrong about that.." Sting confessed, looking grim. "And I'm afraid it's not my guild anymore. I've been thrown out."

"Thrown out?!" Lucy replied in surprise.

Sting nodded. "That's right. And I'll spare you the details, but I guess things got a little out of control back at the inn. I struck the guild master, and now most of Sabertooth is after me. I came here because, well, I need protection."

Lucy looked to her friend. "Well Mira, how about it?"

Mira was listening intently to the whole conversation, and as an authority of the guild she chimed in. "Fairy Tail is a place where friends are family. Yukino is Lucy's friend, and if you are Yukino's friend then you are part of our family too. We will always protect our family." Lucy simply smiled, the request having been granted.

Sting was taken aback. "T-thank you… Mira- Lucy… Fairy tail. I'm in your debt."

The three girls all smiled, calming Sting. Deep inside himself, rage and sadness over the loss of Lector still burned, but at least for now his immediate fears were resolved. The calming silence was suddenly interrupted by a loud crash on the other side of the room.

"Oye! I'm all fired up!" An iconic cry came out as a tipsy Natsu Dragneel crashed into the room. The inn filled with cheer as the guild gave their strongest dragonslayer a hero's welcome. Sting turned away, hoping his former idol turned rival wouldn't notice his presence. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain as Natsu was heading straight over to greet his close friend Lucy. The fire dragon slayer approached the table, eyes closed with an impossibly big grin plastered all over his face.

"Lucy! Mira! Yukino! Let's celebrate, we're gonna drink all night!" He opened his eyes, noticing that there was someone who he had not expected to see. There was a blonde boy turned away from the table, looking down at the ground.

"S-Sting?! That you?" He inquired, surprised.

Sting shrugged and acknowledged his own presence. "Yeah. It's me."

Natsu walked over in front of Sting, even though he was clearly trying to avoid being approached. "What're ya' doin' here? Shouldn't you be restin' at Sabertooth? After a battle like that you-" He cut himself off, noticing the forlorn faces on his surrounding friends. "What's wrong, you guys?"

"Natsu…" Sting began apologizing immediately. "I'm so sorry. Y-You were always so nice to Rogue and I- all we ever did was give you a hard time. But now, I've been thrown out of Sabertooth. Same as Yukino. They want me dead, and now I've got no choice but to come crawling to you guys for safety with my freakin' tail tucked between my legs. Gah…"

Natsu didn't respond verbally. Instead, he clenched his fists together and scowled. Lucy and Mira both got out of their seats, surrounding Natsu.

"I guess they didn't learn their lesson last time. I'm going back there!" He growled.

Lucy and Mira were right to prepare themselves, and they both grabbed him.

"Natsu, no! If you do that, we could get disqualified! You can't go marching into Sabertooth like crazy again! Stop it!" Lucy was begging her friend, giving it her all to restrain him.

Natsu struggled fiercely against the restraints of the two female wizards, until Mira finally slapped him right in the face.

Quickly she pleaded to the angered dragonslayer. "Natsu. I understand your frustration. But I will not have you endanger what we've all worked so hard for. Please, calm yourself."

The shock of being struck by his friend was enough to make Natsu think for a moment, taking a deep breath and finally sitting down. The girls let go of him.

"S-sorry, Mira-san. Fine then. I won't do anything. But after the games are over, nobody better stand between me and that old man."

This was enough for Mira, and she agreed. Not wanting to sully the good mood anymore, Mira headed off to the bar to tend to other members.

"So Sting! You aren't gonna be fightin' me in the last day of the games, so how about you and me go rumble? Yeah?" Natsu insisted, back to his cheerful self.

"Jeez. Sorry Natsu, don't you think we've fought enough for one day? Besides, I'm not really in the mood…" There was a hint of dejection in Sting's voice.

"Tsk. Can't let that guild get you down. You're better off without em'!"

"...Yeah. I guess." Sting replied, humoring his former-idol. "Well, that's not exactly all that went wrong tonight. But I'd rather not spoil your big night to celebrate. We can talk about it later."

Lucy agreed, respecting Sting's discretion and adding, "Yeah! Let's put all that behind us for now. A toast- to our new friends Sting and Yukino!"

Unable to resist a toast among friends, Natsu grinned. He grabbed two mugs off the table, handing one to sting and keeping one for himself. "Cheers!" Natsu toasted.

Being treated so warmly by Natsu, Sting couldn't help but laugh. Slowly but surely, his pain was fading. The look on Natsu's face was so contagiously happy that Sting caught himself staring in admiration. It gave Sting a strange feeling inside, one he hadn't felt in a very long time. To be so surrounded by kindness- it was like nothing he had ever experienced in Sabertooth. He hoped there would be many more nights like this to come. Many drinks were passed around and a night full of laughs and cheer between new friends ensued. He drowned his sorrow in it.

As the night carried on, more and more mages began to tire and leave the hall. Eventually, even Yukino and Lucy retired to the room they were sharing. This left the two dragonslayers, who had been at each other's throats earlier that day, alone together.

"Natsu-kun.. I can't thank you enough for this." Sting spoke in a heartfelt way.

"Oyee! Don't mention it. Happy to have ya'."

"Really though. I mean it!" Sting insisted, bowing his head slightly.

"Aw, c'mon now. Don't do that stuff. We're friends now- equals." Natsu replied, blushing softly- a little embarrassed.

Sting finally gave in, accepting Natsu's continuing kindness. Soon, he caught himself yawning.

"You tired too? We should probably get to sleep." Natsu suggested.

"Oh yeah. Where can I sleep anyways? This place is so crowded, is there even any room left?"

"Heh, don't worry. You can use my room, but you're gonna have to sleep on the floor."

Sting shrugged. "Good enough for me."

The two dragonslayers made their way upstairs, following the winding hallways of the inn up to Natsu's private room. It was a small but cozy room. There was a carpeted floor, a cedar desk and chair, an unkempt blanket on a queen sized mattress, and a big bay window that let in some moonlight. Natsu lit a candle on the desk with his flames and hopped into bed, throwing an extra pillow onto the carpet for Sting to use. They both said their goodnights and lay down to rest, thinking that would be the end of it.

Shortly after, the door to Natsu's room opened up again. A small blue cat wandered inside.

"Natsuuu! I ate too many fish and now my tummy hurts and-" Happy noticed Sting lying on the floor.

"Ehhhh? What is Sting doing here?"

"Ahh," Natsu replied with grogginess in his voice, "It's a long story happy, I'll tell you in the morning- okay? Don't mind Sting, he won't bite. Right Sting? ...Sting?"

Sting was shaking uncontrollably. Seeing the cheerful blue exceed suddenly triggered his memories of Lector being disintegrated. Without any concern for who was watching, he began crying helplessly.

"Oh god.. Oh Lector. I can't.. Lector!" He moaned between breaths.

Natsu was confused and startled, but quickly got out of bed and sat down beside Sting on the floor. Happy also flew over.

"Sting! Sting, snap out of it! What the hell is wrong?!"

"It's Lector!" He admitted, finally. "Jiemma.. The master of Sabertooth killed Lector! I saw him do it. I couldn't stop it! My failure got Lector killed. Dammit! Dammit all!"

Natsu was blown away. He felt his blood boiling and the only thing that kept him under control was Happy hugging at his side. "N-no way… That bastard!" Natsu exclaimed. "I swear, I'll kill him! I'll do it!"

"Even if you do," Sting moaned- still tearing up, "It won't bring Lector back. I just can't believe he's gone. And I don't know how I can keep going knowing that man is still breathing right now."

Natsu suddenly grabbed Sting and looked him in the eyes. "Sting. We're going to avenge Lector. And not only that, we're going to teach him a lesson for what he did to Yukino and you too. As soon as these games are over, I swear to you, I'll do everything I can to help you get even and rid the world of that old bastard. It's a promise."

Happy looked concerned, trying to comprehend everything that was happening around him while distraught by the news of Lector's demise. "Natsu… I'm scared..."

Natsu picked up his friend, holding the blue cat tight in his arms. "Don't be. There's no way we can lose." He held out a hand to Sting. "With our forces combined, there's nobody we can't beat."

Sting was hesitant at first, but took Natsu's hand. It felt so warm and when he grasped it he was filled with confidence. Lector may have died, but he would not die in vain. With the help of Natsu, he could free everyone in Sabertooth from Jiemma's tyranny. It was simply a matter of time.

When Natsu finally let go, he picked Happy up and put him on the bed. Then he turned to Sting and surprised him with a sudden hug.

"I won't ever let anyone hurt my friends and get away with it. Trust me."

Sting remained silent, surprised by the sudden embrace. It was comforting to say the least, in fact Sting couldn't remember any recent time when he had felt so safe. He awkwardly hugged Natsu back, hoping that was okay. Sting's heart was pounding and that intense feeling from before flared up again. He felt Natsu wipe away the last tear that was running down his face before finally letting go.

"Natsu-kun… Just, thank-"

"Nope. Don't thank me. I wanted to do that." He interrupted Sting. "If there's anything I can do for ya' till' the games are over, just let me know. Okay?"

Sting simply nodded, and Natsu smiled in return- content. He stood up and got into the far-side of his bed with Happy, reminding Sting how he used to spend every night with Lector by his side. It was so nice to always have someone so kind and warm to hold tight, even if it was just a little cat. Sting already missed it.

"Well, er, I guess there's one thing." Sting answered.

"Yeah? Anything."

"Kind of a weird request- I know- but do you think maybe I could share that bed with you and Happy? I used to sleep with Lector just like that every night. I haven't slept all alone like this in years. It can be a one time thing- promise."

Natsu looked to Happy who nodded in approval, he didn't see any harm to it.

"Sure, I don't mind. Just don't go telling nobody- who knows what they'll say." Natsu joked, smirking mischievously.

Hearing the warm approval, Sting climbed into the bed and pulled the blanket over himself. He felt a sympathetic Happy curl up next to him, nuzzling his chest. Sting was blushing happily and was caught extremely off-guard when Natsu suddenly put an arm around him too. Once again, he felt that intense thumping in his chest.

"H-hey now. I'm not a scared little kid, you don't have to do that for me."

"Yeah, well, I think you could use it right about now." Natsu coddled. "Unless of course, you don't want me to?"

Sting closed his eyes, leaning in. "Nah. It's okay. Thanks…"

Surrounded in the warmth of the blanket, a cuddly blue cat, and the comfort of a good friend, Sting sighed with relief. Soon Natsu was asleep, but Sting couldn't shake the strong feelings which burned inside. Everything about the situation was so appealing to Sting. Even Natsu's scent was strangely comforting. He promised himself that he would have to pay back Natsu a hundred times over for all this, and that he would do his best to always be a great friend. This resolution provided enough solace to ease his mind, and the dragons of light and fire drifted off to sleep together.


	2. Chapter 2

Deep into the night, Sting began tossing and turning once again. His friends had not yet noticed, but he was suffering from an intense nightmare. Racked with guilt, Sting found himself facing flashbacks to earlier that night. Self-blame faded away and was instead replaced by extreme anger towards Jiemma.

And then he felt shame. The dream transitioned to watching himself stand before the guild as the master commanded that he remove his proud guild crest. It was the very crest he had worked so hard and trained so thoroughly to wear.

"Wipe it out! Wipe out the crest of our guild! My guild doesn't need weaklings! It doesn't need losers!"

As Sting watched the memory of his guildmaster's tyranny, he awoke with a startled yelp. He was covered in a nervous sweat and shaking a bit.

Natsu took notice, opening his eyes and rubbing the sleep out of them. One of his arms was still resting around Sting, who was now staring back at him.

"Oye, Sting, you feelin' okay?" Natsu whispered groggily.

Sting nodded in reply. "S-sorry. I was just having a nightmare, that's all. You can go back to sleep, I didn't mean to wake ya."

Natsu ran his hand along Sting's back, trying to comfort his friend. "Mm. Nah, it's okay. You wanna talk about it?"

"No. Talking isn't going to help me, I don't think." Sting replied. He knew he should be quiet, since Happy might wake up. Suddenly he pulled away from Natsu, getting out from under his grasp and standing up from the bed. "But I think I know something that will…"

Curious, Natsu looked up in anticipation.

Sting had rested a hand on his shoulder, covering up his Sabertooth crest. His fingernails dug into his own skin with frustration. This symbol was no longer something to be proud of. He was wearing the emblem of his own worst enemy.

"I… I'm going to get rid of this." Sting proclaimed. "I'm not a Sabertooth wizard anymore, and I never want to be. This ends here and now."

His hand started to glow with white light. As he prepared himself for the purification of his own flesh, suddenly the magic cut out. He tried again, but it was to no avail.

"Damnit!" Sting moaned with restraint, gripping his arm even more tightly. "I can't do it. Gah… Am I really this pathetic? That I can't get rid of a stupid freakin' symbol?"

Natsu too rolled out of bed and examined Sting's situation. He put a hand on Sting's, gently making him release his hold and moving it out of the way. Sting had been so furious that he had broken the skin around his crest, so there was a bit of blood.

"Sting. You've gotta control yourself. I know that's hard to hear, coming from me. I've got my own feelings towards those bastards."

Sting frowned in silence, looking a bit ashamed at the scene he had caused.

"But," Natsu continued, "If you really want that crest off so badly, I can get rid of it for you. Is that okay?"

Sting was surprised, but grateful. He nodded. "Thank you, Natsu. Whenever you're ready, then."

Natsu took a deep breath to gather his magic power, placing his right hand on Sting's shoulder mark. Soon there was a small red light and Sting felt an intense searing sensation. As quickly as he had begun, Natsu stopped the spell and removed his palm. Where there once was a Sabertooth crest, now there was only some light pink burned skin.

"Hm. Well it worked, but does it hurt?" Natsu inquired.

"It wasn't that bad. Tsk." Sting was toughing through it. "But, it does sting a bit. I should've known you were gonna burn me, heh."

"Sorry. I can take care of that for ya'."

Without waiting for a response from Sting, Natsu went to work. He held Sting's lower arm with both hands, and licked right up along the burn mark. Sting shivered.

"The hell was that for?" Sting barked, caught off-guard.

"It's a technique Igneel taught me for dealing with burns." Natsu replied, stopping. "You want my help or not?""

Sting was a bit uneasy, but he trusted the other dragonslayer enough to let him have his way. Nodding in approval, he knew it was probably for the best. Natsu resumed running his tongue along the seared flesh, tending to it with care. Much to Sting's surprise, the pain actually went away instantly. But he didn't tell Natsu this, he was strangely enjoying the wet warmth of a dragon's tongue. Just the idea that his friend was willing to do something like this was more than he could ask for.

When Natsu finally finished, he actually took notice of Sting's blush and the big stupid grin he had on his face. He didn't think much of it, he was just glad Sting was feeling better.

"All good?" Natsu presumed.

"Y-yeah. Wow. You're really incredible sometimes, Natsu."

"Heh! It's just a simple burn relief technique, that's all."

"That's not exactly what I meant..." Sting admitted.

Natsu looked a bit perplexed. "Eh? Like I said, enough of that stuff. I do what I do because I want to and that's all."

Sting smiled, thinking to himself. _That doesn't really make it less incredible._

"So! You're a free wizard now." Natsu redirected the conversation, sitting down on the carpet.

"O-oh! Yeah, I guess that's true. I'm sure Sabertooth will be after me for some time, but they certainly don't own me anymore." Sting replied, kneeling down next to Natsu.

"Well," Natsu continued, "Are ya' still up for being a guild wizard? Because, you know, you'd always have a place here in Fairy Tail."

Sting's heart skipped a beat. "S-seriously?! You think they'd let me join… Even after how I treated them?"

Natsu nodded confidently. "Of course! Just look at Juvia, Gajeel, and Laxus. We're a guild of the present. As long as you make your intentions clear, I'm sure Fairy Tail would be happy to accept you."

"Wow…" Sting pondered it. "Me, a Fairy Tail wizard? I can't believe it."

"Yup. It's up to you in the end. But if you care what I think, I hope you'll stay."

If he hadn't been told not to, Sting would've probably been groveling and thanking Natsu again and again. But instead, the two simply sat there in silence. Words weren't really needed.

When Natsu got up, he motioned to the bed. "You comin' back to sleep?"

Sting lay down on the carpet, grabbing the pillow from earlier. "Nah, it's okay. I'm feeling better now- you can have your bed back. You've done enough for me."

"Tsk. You sure love to make things difficult for yourself. If you wanna do somethin', just do it." Natsu called him out.

"No r-really!" Sting insisted, embarrassed that Natsu already had him all figured out.

"Fiiiine. How about this." Natsu jumped off the bed, suddenly tackling Sting. "We'll have a little brawl, and the loser has to sleep on the floor."

"Ack! Damnit Natsu!" Sting resisted playfully, trying to throw the sudden heavier weight off of himself.

"C'mon, is that all you've got?" Natsu teased, taunting the younger dragonslayer.

Sting replied not through words, but by throwing all his weight into rolling out from under Natsu. Surprisingly, it worked, and soon Sting was the one pinning Natsu down instead.

"I can't just let you walk all over me, Natsu. Even if I'm grateful- I've got a reputation to uphold, ya' know!"

"Grr! I wouldn't have challenged you if I thought I was gonna lose!"

"WOULD YOU TWO QUIET DOWN?!" Happy suddenly exclaimed.

Both dragonslayers started laughing hysterically at the outburst. Natsu got up and apologized to Happy, promising to be quiet before stealing a blanket and laying back down on the carpet.

"So, guess neither of us won. Does that make us both losers?" Natsu wondered.

"I think so. Guess we'll both have to sleep on the floor then." Sting agreed.

Natsu smiled, closing his eyes and stretching out face-up along the floor. He rested his head on the one pillow from earlier. "Ah, that's a real shame."

"Yeah…" Sting relented. He was a bit nervous, but seeing Natsu's closed eyes made him feel approachable. Sting felt the strange urge to get close to Natsu, driven by the same powerful sentiments he had felt earlier when Natsu was being so compassionate. Carefully, Sting lay down next to Natsu and rested his head on the other dragonslayer's chest. It was a bit awkward at first, but he felt so safe and comfortable.

Of course, Natsu was expecting this and once again put an arm around Sting. He pulled the blanket over them, hugging Sting tightly. Soon, he felt Sting hugging him back.

"Night, Natsu." Sting whispered.

"Night." Natsu whispered back.

* * *

Morning sun had just begun to illuminate the main foyer of Fairy Tail's inn when a loud knocking rang out from the door. Of course, no one was awake to answer it after last night's festivities. Someone pushed the door open, not having much patience. He stepped inside, followed by his companion.

"Roguuue… Fro is tired." A small green cat cried.

"Hmph. Well, we have to keep searching. We have to put up a good show, and it will be better if we find him before someone else does."

"Fro thinks so too…" Frosch groggily agreed.

"Hello?! Anyone home?" Rogue called out upon seeing the empty bar room. No one responded, so he kept wandering inside. He found the staircase which led up to the bedrooms, but as he began climbing it another figure appeared at the top.

Lucy thought she had heard someone rummaging about, so she was wandering downstairs to check. Noticing the Sabertooth guild crest on Rogue's shoulder as well as the warning Sting had given the night before, she suddenly tensed up. She grabbed her golden keys defensively, glaring at Rogue.

"You! What are you doing here?" Lucy scowled.

Unmoved, Rogue remained nonchalant. "I'm looking for a friend. Maybe you've seen him?"

Lucy eyed the unwelcomed Sabertooth suspiciously. "I'm afraid I haven't. Now get out of here- before someone with less restraint finds you."

"Lucy? What's going on?" Yukino called from behind, just now waking up and approaching the confrontation. Rogue was surprised to recognize the voice, but knew he had a lead.

"Yukino!" He called out to her.

"Rogue?!" Yukino ran up next to Lucy. She looked down at her former ally as well as Frosch.

"Yukino, I'm glad you're alright. But- what are you doing here?" He asked.

Yukino climbed down the stairs to stand next to Rogue. "I've been staying with Fairy Tail ever since the incident. What about you?"

"Please don't be alarmed. I'm looking for Sting, but I'm not trying to hurt him. I just have to warn him that all of Sabertooth is after his head. Minerva has had us scouring the city all night." Rogue stated calmly.

Yukino sighed with relief. "Oh. Thank you then, Rogue. But we already know."

"We?" Rogue inquired. "Does that mean Sting is here?"

Yukino was about to reply, but Lucy cut her off. "Even if he is, how do we know we can trust you?"

"Lucy! Come on! Rogue is the closest thing to a friend that Sting has. We can trust him." Yukino insisted.

Lucy paused to think. Uncomfortably, she agreed. "Fine. But don't make me regret this, Rogue. Yukino, I think Sting is still in Natsu's room. Take them there?"

She nodded, motioning for Rogue and Frosch to follow. They climbed the stairs and headed down the right hallway while Lucy went back to her room. Yukino approached a small wooden doorway at the end of the hall.

"This is it." She said, knocking lightly. When she didn't get a response, she opened up the door just enough to peer in. What she saw next- she was not at all prepared for. Sting and Natsu were both sprawled out on the floor, totally unconscious and sleeping on each other. Though unexpected, she thought it was oddly endearing. Blushing, she quickly closed the door and accidentally slammed it. Frosh was startled.

"S-sleeping!" She informed Rogue. "Guess we'll have to come back later."

Unconvinced, Rogue pressed her. "The hell? Let's just wake him up."

"No, Rogue! I'm sure he's had a long night, he probably needs to recover some more."

"Ugh. Fine then. We'll wait."

The three walked away from the door and headed downstairs to wait. Though Yukino was confused, she was able to contain her curiosity enough to be discreet. She considered talking to Sting about it later, but for now she would give him some space.

"Frosch?" Rogue looked to his companion.

"Hi." He replied.

"I think it's about time you go back to hiding. I don't feel safe having you out here- I wouldn't want anyone from Sabertooth to see me here just waiting around."

"Fro thinks so too…" He conceded.

With a flash of shadow magic, Frosch vanished into hiding and Rogue was left alone with Yukino at the bar.

* * *

Natsu instantly awoke upon hearing the door to his room slam shut. Instinctively he tried to get up, but realized there was a person on top of him. Messy yellow hair, strong arms, soft blue shirt- it was Sting. Memories of last night's events came back and he relaxed under his friend's warmth.

_Oh right.. _He thought to himself. _Jeez, that sure got out of hand quickly._

Natsu was always happy to comfort someone in need, but he was surprised at how receptive Sting was to his advances. In the span of just one day the two dragonslayers had somehow gone from a fiercely heated battle to cuddling on the floor of a bedroom. He just assumed Sting had been in such a bad spot that _anyone_'s care would suffice, but secretly Sting was overwhelmed with joy that it was Natsu specifically.

Sting was still totally out of it, but Natsu knew it was probably best if they got up sooner than later. He ran his hand through Sting's hair, petting him gently to wake him up. It wasn't long before Sting noticed, sleepily yawning and opening his eyes slightly.

"Mm.. Morning." He grumbled to Natsu.

"Mornin'. Sleep okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks to you." Sting rolled off of Natsu, getting out of his way.

Natsu sat up, stretching his arms over his shoulders. "Heh, no problem."

Both of the boys were still sitting against each other, smiling in awkward silence.

"Natsuuuuu!" Happy cried, entering the room. "Oh! You're still on the floor. Sleeping with your new _boooooyfriend_?"

"Oye! Shut up- Happy!" Natsu grumbled back, blushing. He turned to face Sting. "Don't mind the little pest."

"Aww.. I was only teasing!" Happy admitted.

Sting just watched passively, not really sure what to say. _Boyfriend? Heh. Yeah right. _Sting thought to himself. _Natsu was just being nice. And besides- I'm not.. And no way is he.._

"Anyways!" Happy continued, "That Rogue guy from Sabertooth is in the bar! And he's with Yukino! I dunno what happened."

Sting suddenly got up, alarmed to hear Rogue's name all of a sudden. After all, he had fled so quickly last night that he didn't even get a chance to part ways with his old ally.

"Rogue is here?!" Sting demanded, heading for the door. "I've gotta head down."

"Sting, wait!" Natsu called out.

"Hm?" He turned back around.

"...Your hair." Natsu was giggling.

Sting turned to the mirror to see his hair was super messy and all over the place due to the previous night's events. Embarrassed, he fixed it quickly. _Damnit Natsu!_

"Be careful, Sting."

Sting opened the bedroom door and stepped outside. He ran down the stairs excitedly and turned the corner to see his former ally Rogue sitting alone at the bar nonchalantly.

"Rogue!" Sting called.

"Sting! You really are here!" Rogue replied, visibly excited.

Sting sped over and suddenly hugged Rogue.

"H-hey! The hell's gotten into you, Sting?" Rogue sat still.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Sting pulled away. "I'm just glad you're okay. I didn't know if you had escaped or not after last night."

Rogue sublty grinned. "Heh, it's okay. Yeah, I'm okay. I'm not surprised to find you here, but I am surprised that you're up on your feet. The way you left last night…"

Sting grimaced at the thought of last night's tragedy. "Right… I know. I'm sorry I abandoned you like that. I couldn't control myself."

"It's alright, Sting. Really. I know I would have acted the same if anything had happened to Frosch."

"Frosch is okay? Oh thank goodness." Sting sounded relieved, and he sat down next to Rogue.

"Yeah. For now, I've hidden him somewhere safe until this all boils down. I got to see Yukino as well. You just missed her."

"What about you, Rogue? You got thrown out of Sabertooth too right?"

Rogue paused before shaking his head, gripping something tightly in his palm. "After you struck the master last night, he became unconscious. Suddenly my failure seemed a lot less significant. Minerva was furious and started commanding all the guild members to seek you out. I watched from the shadows but she detected me and called me out. I was threatened and then given a proposal. She suspected you might reveal yourself to me over any other guild member, so she gave me this letter. If I deliver it to you, I will be absolved of my punishment."

Sting looked down at the tan envelope which Rogue was grasping. He handed it over, and Sting pondered opening it.

"So… Rogue, you only wanted to find me to save yourself?"

"N-no! That's not true at all." Rogue insisted. "I'm glad you're okay. I really am."

Sting wasn't convinced. "It's hard to trust someone with motives like that. I know you understand that."

Rogue sighed. "Listen. I'll prove I wasn't just doing it for Sabertooth. After all this is over, I'm going to quit Sabertooth for good. At least this way Minerva won't be after my head."

"Rogue…" Sting whispered happily.

"It's for Frosch's sake too. Hmph. That guild is only going to cause us trouble."

"Sorry for doubting you." Sting apologized.

"It's unimportant. Let's get back to the main point." Rogue continued. "I will give you this letter, but I want to see what's inside. I don't want her toying with you, so let's go somewhere private and discuss it. Is that okay?"

"Oh. Right, that's fine with me. How about the wine cellar?" Sting suggested.

"Anything where we won't be interrupted is fine. Lead the way."

Sting got up and led Rogue behind the bar. There was a long set of stone stairs that went a floor down beneath the tavern. When they got to the bottom, there was no one around as expected. It was just a dusty room full of wine barrels and cobwebs.

Carefully, Sting opened the envelope up and provided some reading light for with his magic. He began reading it aloud to Rogue.

"Sting. Since you are reading this, it means my suspicions were correct. You have fled to Fairy Tail and they have taken you under their protection. I want you to know that you won't get away with what you've done. It doesn't matter how much Fairy Tail tries to protect you; every active member of Sabertooth will be looking for you until you are returned to me alive. Nowhere will be safe. However, there is a way to save yourself- and I'm even willing to incentivize it for you.

My dear father may have made an error in judging your power. I am not going to repeat his mistake. Unlike Rogue, I do not expect you to desire future involvement with Sabertooth. But I do believe you loved your friend Lector very dearly. What if I told you that-"

Sting gasped as he read the next bit. He passed the letter to Rogue, unable to continue reading aloud. Rogue anxiously grabbed it and began reading.

"What if I told you that Lector is... _still alive_."

Sting had tears welling up in his closed eyes with disbelief, and even Rogue was taken by surprise.

"Oh Lector..." Sting cried

They sat in silence until Rogue collected his thoughts and continued reading.

"That's right. He's right here with me. I thought he might become a useful bargaining chip, so I saved him just before my father would have done away with him. He could be with you again, Sting." Rogue rested a palm on Sting's shoulder, trying to ease the continuing messages. He got Sting to open his eyes again and they both read through the remaining text in silence.

"You are no longer a part of Sabertooth- yet I have something you want. _Surely _we can come to an agreement? Sting Eucliffe, I am prepared to let you go free and return your companion- but in return I will have you _take care of something_. As we are now, I do not believe Sabertooth will triumph in the Grand Magic Games. But with your unique position, I believe you could turn the tides. I know you are familiar with Natsu Dragneel. The shame he brought on you is rivaled only by his own incredible power. You've infiltrated Fairy Tail, so taking his life by surprise shouldn't be too difficult for someone like you. One life for another. If you do not accept my offer- who knows what will happen to your little friend? I trust you will make the right decision."

At the bottom of the page, there was a small pawprint mark signed in ink. There was no mistaking it- it was Lector's paw.

"Sting…"

"..."

"I know this hurts, but we really have to think about what to do here." Rogue whispered.

Sting weakly nodded, wiping away faint tears.

"Sting, I don't doubt Minerva has Lector. She has proven time and time again to be tactful and cunning- a prediction like this would be simple for her. I can't guarantee she will go through with her word and return him to you, but it seems like the only choice that could end with you seeing Lector again. What do you think?"

"As much as I hate to admit it… I think you're right." Sting acknowledged solemnly. "But I just- I can't! I can't just backstab someone like that- and especially not Natsu! He's been nothing but kind to me- you more than anyone know how long I idolized him! Would you really kill someone for Frosch's sake?"

"Yes. I would kill even Gajeel if it meant saving Frosch." Rogue spoke bluntly. "I would despise myself for it, but I just know that's how I would react in your situation."

The sharp and confident answer surprised Sting. He didn't really know how to respond, he simply clenched his fists together from a combination of hatred and despair.

"I know it's a tough decision, Sting. Just remember, the final day is just twenty-four hours away. I've told you what I think you should do, and I hope you'll consider your options carefully. Natsu is just another human being, but Lector is like family. I won't try to sway you any more than that."

Sting nodded again, fuming. "Rogue… I guess, well, I'll be thinking about it."

Rogue offered his friend a hand, helping him to his feet. "I should go. I have to report to Minerva and announce my withdrawal from Sabertooth. After that, I will do everything I can to investigate the safety of Lector. At any rate, I don't think I'm awfully welcome here anyways."

"Right- I understand." Sting accepted as they began walking back up the stairs.

"And Sting?" Rogue looked down.

"Yeah?"

"Please take care of yourself. Lector isn't the only person who would miss you..." He whispered in a hushed tone.

"Oh. Rogue- I'll do my best. Thank you." Sting gathered enough strength to wave goodbye and soon his friend had left him sitting alone in the Inn's foyer once again.

With this intense ultimatum now weighing down on him, Sting needed a few moments of calm isolation to gather his thoughts. Unfortunately, fate was not kind enough to give them to him. Just as soon as Rogue was out the door, Sting heard a voice from behind.

"Oye! Mornin' Sting!"

Natsu's unexpected voice nearly gave Sting a heart attack. Of course it was him. It had to be him. Sting was fortunate enough to be facing away from his friend, giving ample time to react. _I can't panic. I've got to act natural. Keep my options open- don't arouse suspicion. You can get through this, Sting._

"N-natsu! Oh, hello." Sting spoke nonchalantly.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Natsu approached from behind.

"Not great- but a lot better." Sting lied.

"Mm. Good to hear. Uh. Hey Sting, how did things go with Rogue? He still around?"

"Rogue? Oh, right! Err, Rogue just told me what I already knew. He wasn't sure I knew all of Sabertooth was after me. Once he confirmed I was safe here, he left."

"Aw, I was kinda hopin' to say hi. Well, whatever. He's a good friend for coming all this way to look out for ya'." Natsu stepped behind Sting and casually ruffled his hair.

Natsu didn't mean much by the gesture, but Sting suddenly felt like time had stopped around him. An intense chill rocked his core as his friend touched him. Right now- in this very moment- this person was doing everything he could to help him. Yet, this was the same person he was considering _killing_ just minutes ago? He was overwhelmed by guilt. _N-no way. I… I can't hurt Natsu. How could I? What the hell was I even thinking? But Lector- god damnit- no! There's gotta be another way…_

The time Natsu spent in contact with Sting was only a second or two, but it felt like an eternity to Sting. Before Sting even realized it, Natsu had pulled up a chair and was sitting next to him. The inner cold feeling melted away as Sting saw Natsu's warm smile. He seemed so innocent that it was almost endearing. The poor dragonslayer was blissfully ignorant to what was going on around him.

"Anyways, Sting." Natsu broke the silence. "So I was thinkin' about what we talked about last night. About you joining Fairy Tail and stuff. I realized that if you did that, you could actually participate safely in the Grand Magic Games tomorrow- on our side! We could really use you, and I know you'd wanna give Sabertooth some payback. So… What do you think?"

Normally Sting would have been ecstatic to hear something like this, but with his current circumstances it was debilitating.

"Oh! Well, jeez… I don't know if I'm ready for that so soon. And besides, I've already imposed enough on your guild. I don't want to go bothering your guild master too."

Natsu grew a sly grin. "Hehe. I thought you might say that! So while you were busy down here, I went and bothered gramps for you!"

"Y-you didn't!" Sting exclaimed.

"I did! And he accepted you! Well, it was more like, 'Damnit! Do whatever the hell you want, Natsu- just let me get back to sleep already!' but that's just as good."

Natsu was acting like an excited little puppy over this whole ordeal.

"Well, you've got me this time Natsu."

"Damn right I do! So, do you accept admission?"

Begrudgingly, Sting nodded.

"Alright! By the power loosely invested in me, I welcome you to Fairy Tail!"

"Natsu. Thank you… It means more than you could ever know."

Sting reached up and placed his palm where his Sabertooth Crest used to be. Small tears were welling up in his eyes, but Sting turned away to hide them from Natsu.

"No problem! I know you'll be happier here. Everything is going to get better from here on out. I promise."

Sting simply nodded, accepting everything his friend said while masking his true feelings. Inside, he was an emotional trainwreck. It was nearly impossible to maintain an ongoing internal dialogue and still speak properly, but Sting was doing the best he could.

Right now, Natsu and Lector were both still alive. There was still time to make things work. But how? It just didn't seem feasible. Even with Natsu's help, the two dragonslayers couldn't possibly take down Minerva given all the protection her guild was providing. And especially not with her holding Lector hostage. Sting's odds were starting to look awfully grim. He had all but given up hope.

_Oh Natsu, you have no idea how much I wish that could be true..._

**AN: Wow, that sure took a lot out of me! I do hope you liked it. Sorry I can't make promises about when there will be more- all in good time.**


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